No One Really Approves
by Amaggiepie
Summary: It couldn't be happening again. There were no second chances, they said. Emily was his imprint. And Emily was dead.  Bella/Sam.  AU.  Oneshot set at the end of New Moon.


I own Twilight not. And if I did, it probably wouldn't go like this anyway.

She pulls up her hood as she approaches the corner, avoiding the puddle of dim light cast by the streetlamp. A sudden blast wind hits her square in the face and leaves her gasping at the cold sting, icy needles on her skin. You would never know the day had been 74 degrees and clear as a bell—the temperature had dropped to nearly freezing at sunset. She draws her hood closer around her face and bends her head against the wind, arms crossed tightly against her torso as though she could crush the chill from her bones this way. The street sign rattles against itself, making her jump and glance over her shoulder. Everything seems amplified in the quiet darkness. No one is there. One more block to go.

She rounds the last bend and now she can see the little red shack. The right bottom window still glows yellow. Had he known she would come? Before she can make it half way up the walk, the door swings open and Sam strides out to meet her.

He is at her side in an instant, pulling her into the furnace of his embrace. She thinks the cold probably feels refreshing to him. He doesn't even have goose bumps. Before she can ask, he steers her inside to thaw out.

"Are you insane?" He unzips her hoodie and she lets him take it off, though she's still frozen. "You know you shouldn't be down here at all—but really—_walking_ to La Push seemed like a fun thing to do tonight?" She lifts her arms to let him pull off shirt number one.

"I j-just n-needed to s-see you," she manages between violent shivers. She knows what he has in mind, so she strips off her boots and jeans herself, adding to the puddle of clothing in the hallway, then makes her way back to his bed.

Before she can reach for it, he grabs the comforter and pulls it down over them, wrapping his body around hers. She presses herself into him, every inch of skin seeking more delicious heat.

"Ahhh..."

"Better?"

"Mmhmm. Much better." Bella snuggles further down so that the comforter reaches her nose. "I missed you."

Sam doesn't say anything, but sighs into the space between her ear and the back of her neck. His hand finds hers under the blankets and he gives it a gentle squeeze. She knows it's his way of saying "I missed you, too."

They lie there for a while, Sam waiting for Bella to fall asleep and Bella waiting for Sam to say what needs to be said. Finally, she turns over to face him.

"I won't do it anymore. They'll just have to get over it," she says with more confidence than she feels.

Sam opens one eye to look at her, then props himself up on his elbow. "Do we really have to do this _right_ now, Bella?"

"Yes. We do. I didn't walk all the way down here in the cold just for you to tuck me into bed and send me home in the morning. This. Needs. To. Stop. I can't fight it anymore, Sam. I _need_ to be near you. I can't sleep; I'm cold all the time. How is this not affecting you at all?" She bangs both her fists on his chest in frustration.

"You know what the Elders said. You can't be my imprint. Em—_she_ was my imprint. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal." He closes his eyes and struggles to keep the mask on, the calm, cold, collected Sam. It's been slipping off more and more these days.

That had been the worst day of his life. He still didn't remember what the fight was about, what she said to him - it must not have been that important. But back then, he was all alone. When he phased for the first time, he was sure he had gone insane. There was no one there to welcome him to the Pack, to tell him what the fuck was going on. He _was_ the Pack. He had to figure it all out himself. Fuck, it was more than two weeks before he was even able to phase back. The careful control he mastered now had eluded him then. But he was too cocky, too proud; to admit that he could ever hurt her, even to himself. And when she slapped him that day, something inside snapped. Waves of crimson rage crashed over him like a tsunami. She was standing too close. She was standing right next to him, and he lost control. And before he realized what had happened, a huge black wolf was standing bewildered in the middle of her kitchen, looking down at the gaping hole in right side of her face where her eye should have been. Drowning in the scent of her blood.

He had had to run outside and compose himself before he was able to phase back. More precious time wasted. Somehow he made it to Harry Clearwater's house and half-explained what had happened. But he knew before he'd left for help that it was too late to help her now. She was gone.

The words "werewolf," "imprint" and "legend" were thrown around a lot. Billy Black told the rez police that a bear had gotten into the house. Sam couldn't speak to them himself. He could hardly speak at all. The old Sam was gone now. And when Jared phased, the new Sam threw all of himself into his role as Alpha. He wouldn't let these boys make the same mistakes he had made. He had to protect everyone now. Protect La Push from the leeches. Protect the people from the Pack. Protect the wolves from themselves. He had failed Emily, but he wouldn't let it happen again. There would be no more victims for the Protectors.

After everything he went through, why should it be that the broken shell of that girl the Cullen leeches left behind would be the one to bring him back to life, to love? It couldn't be happening again. There were no second chances, they said. Emily was his imprint. And Emily was dead.

With Emily, he never knew he had the option to fight. One day he looked at her and it was as if he was seeing her for the first time, but known her forever. His every memory of her was suddenly sharp, clear, detailed. He felt like someone was literally _pulling_ him toward her, reeling him in with a hook lodged somewhere in his ribcage, right next to his heart. Everything was just so right when she was around.

And then there was Bella. He wasn't even sure that she remembered looking at him when he found her in the forest. She never mentioned seeing a giant black wolf when she told that story. But Sam would never forget.

"You don't really believe that bullshit." Bella's voice brings him back to the present. "These are the same people that ASS-umed there would only ever be male werewolves. And then Leah phased."

She looks a bit proud of her augmented vocabulary. Sam lets the mask slip and the left corner of his mouth twitches upward in that smirk she loves, even if it makes her want to smack him sometimes. Bella rolls her eyes.

"My point is, they might be old, but they don't know everything."

She stares up at him with those big, brown doe eyes and he can't deny the truth of her words, or of his own feelings, any longer. Every cell of his body is screaming for him to just give in. And he's been fighting for so long now…doesn't he deserve to be happy, too?

In an instant the decision is made, and his lips are on hers. Her eyes widen in surprise, and then flutter closed with pleasure at the feel of his hot tongue tracing the line of her mouth. Finally he is doing something that feels _right_, she thinks, and now the kiss is deeper, desperate. Her tongue slides against his and she nibbles at his bottom lip, which earns her a rumbling groan of pleasure. His hands skim over her body from shoulder to thigh, leaving a trail of goose bumps. With one hot finger he traces the hem of her briefs before plunging beneath it to grasp her ass. All too soon she has to pull away, gasping for air.

Her cheeks are flushed pink. He can hear her heart racing and rests an oversize hand on her chest as if to slow it. Her pert little nipple is just a stroke away from his thumb now. Bella never has been a fan of bras. He surprises himself with how much he wants her, how much he wants to utterly possess her. _Mine_, the inner wolf growls. It takes a conscious effort not to growl out loud.

"I love you, Sam," she whispers into his chest. She knows he can hear her. "I know you probably think it's just the imprint, but I think I would have loved you anyway." She looks so vulnerable when she's like this, and it is telling him she needs to hear it back.

"I love you too, Bella." he rumbles. "Really, I do." She is peppering his upper body with soft kisses now. It seems like all the blood has rushed south to the insistent erection straining against her thigh through his cutoffs. It's distracting. "But you know this won't be easy."

She is still kissing him, relishing the warmth and give of his skin, so different from the other man she once loved. With one finger, he tilts her head up to look him in the eyes. The mask is gone now. He knows it has no place here; now, when there are no barriers between them.

"Really, Bella. It will be _hard_. The Council has already made it clear to me that they don't believe this is a true imprint. They aren't going to keep quiet about it either. No one has ever imprinted on a...well, a _paleface_." He cringes at the word. "And then, there is the Pack. And Leah." He closes his eyes and forces himself to keep going. This is the hardest part, for her at least.

"And…you know this is going to break Jacob's heart." Tears spring to her eyes and she blinks furiously to contain them, fails miserably, and buries her face in his chest.

"I know," she sobs. "He's going to _hate_ me." Sam tangles his fingers in her hair and kisses the top of her head.

He fights down the instinct that tells him to go find Jacob and rip his throat out for making her cry. Instead, he says, "I don't think Jacob could _ever_ hate you, Bella. He's sixteen. Sixteen year old boys fall in love. They get their hearts broken a few times. And they get over it. No matter what happens, he will always be your best friend. I've been inside his head. I know."

Bella looks up at him, sniffling. "Really?" she squeaks.

He smiles and taps his temple. "Really, really."

She sighs deeply. "It's Jake I'm most worried about. And Charlie, too. He's not gonna like that you're older than me. The Pack...most of them like me, I think. They probably expected me to end up with Jacob, but I don't think they'll be upset. You're their Alpha. They'll believe you, that it's real, I mean." Leah never really did like me, so I guess I should expect outright hatred from now on—it's not too much different, really. Except..." she hesitates, chewing on her lip.

"What? What is it?"

"Well, there is one more person who is _not_ going to be happy about this. Actually, 'not happy' might be a gross understatement." She sits up and leans back against him, kicking the covers to the side. Sam has done a thorough job as her space heater and they are both sweating.

"Weren't you wondering why I walked to La Push? I know _you_ can run to my place in 10 minutes or less, but it _is_ a bit far for the average human."

"I figured you didn't want to drive the truck because most people around here would hear you coming from 2 miles away—literally. That thing roars like a beast!" Sam winces and receives the expected punch in the arm. No one insults Bella's truck. She's smiling though.

"I guess you have a point. I hadn't thought of that one. But, no. Don't freak out, 'kay?" His body tenses immediately.

"Edward came over last night."

Of course he is freaking out. "What? WHY?" He sits up quickly, nearly knocking her over, and grabs her arm to keep her from losing her balance. It takes a good deal of control not to jump out of bed and away from her. "Come here." She turns to face him and draws her knees up to her chest. He is sniffing her all over, his nose coming to a stop just under her left ear. She smells like strawberries and outside and him. _Mine_.

"Sam. Sam, stop it!" He stops, frowns. It's an order. She sees it in his eyes. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Just...that tickles." She giggles and he relaxes a little, drawing her into his lap.

"So, apparently, Alice had a vision…of, well...this." She gestures to the two of them. "She saw it would happen, that we would decide to be together, to stop fighting it, and so she told him. I'm not sure she even understands what's really going on."

"Probably not," he says. "It's a wolf thing."

She nods. "Edward came over and tried to get me to use those tickets his parents got me for my birthday. The ones to Florida, to visit my mom. I knew something was up when he told me I should have Jake use the other ticket." She rolls her eyes. "I finally told him I would think about it so that he would go. When I went to leave in the morning, the truck wouldn't start. I'm pretty sure he did something to disable it."

"Motherfucker," he whispers under his breath. "What does it matter what he thinks? Who in the actual fuck does he think he is, messing with your truck?" he spits. "What you do with your life is none of his business, not anymore."

"I know that. It's not that I care what he thinks, I just—I'm afraid he might _do_ something if he thinks I'm in danger. You know, break the treaty."

"I'd like to see him try. One more reason to tear the bloodsucker apart." He is smiling in a sick, scary sort of way. "I swear, if he puts one sparkly foot over that line..." he growls.

"_Please_, stop it," she whispers, and rests her head in her hands. "I don't want anyone to get hurt over this."

"Don't worry about them, Bella. We're strong. We outnumber them. We were _made_ to kill them." He is confident, sure. "I think we can take care of ourselves."

He pulls her closer to him, leaning back into the pillows, and sighs. Bella can sense he's still so worried, scared even; not of a fight with the vampires, but of a fight with his people, his Pack. She pulls away and climbs up to straddle him. Her wavy chestnut hair hangs in a curtain around them. She takes his face in her small, white hands, tracing his cheekbones with her thumbs. She wonders if she will ever be able to take away that broken look in his eyes. He really is beautiful, she thinks, even if life has hardened his face too soon with enormous responsibility and loss. She leans down and kisses his lined forehead, the bridge of his brown nose, and his smooth, full lips.

"So, no one really approves. We'll make it work, Sam. Everything will be okay. I know it." She kisses him again and sinks down, settling herself into the crook of his arm, breathing him in. This is where she belongs.

**A/N: This is my first time publishing any of my stories. I hope you enjoy, and if you like, please review! Oneshot inspired by the lovely Majesta Moniet's prompt. Considering a multi-chapter if there is interest, so again, if you want to see more, please show some love. XD**


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